Qaumi Insaaf Morcha seeking stringent punishment in sacrilege cases, High Court told

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 10

The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM) is, among other things, seeking the enhancement of punishment in cases of sacrilege and sympathetic consideration of the premature cases of Sikh prisoners Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Shamsher Singh and Paramjit Singh Bheora.

In an affidavit placed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Kumar Garg averred that various high-level meetings were held with the representatives of the morcha, who gave the details of their demands.

They also demanded that the state government and UT Administration sympathetically consider the cases of Lakhwinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Shamsher Singh and Paramjit Singh Bheora for premature release in accordance with the law in view of their good conduct. They further demanded that the cases for the premature release of Gurdeep Singh and Devender Pal Singh Bhullar be taken up with the governments concerned for expeditious disposal as per law.

The Bench was hearing a petition for the removal of protesters from YPS Chowk. The affidavit came more than six months after a non-government organisation filed a PIL seeking the removal of encroachment by the QIM protesters in Mohali.

Among other things, the petitioner organisation, Arrive Safe Society of Chandigarh, had earlier contended it was learnt that the protesters were seeking the release of Sikh prisoners, including Balwant Singh Rajoana –– a convict in Punjab’s ex-CM Beant Singh’s assassination case. They also wanted the release of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar –– a 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict.

The organisation, through its president, Harman Singh Sidhu, submitted that nobody could be certain when and under what circumstances such a large gathering of persons might turn violent and the protest might take the “shape of a lawless mob disturbing peace and harmony of innocent passer-bys, those engaged in their daily pursuits or those residing in their property in Mohali and nearby areas”. Describing it as a “crucial issue”, Sidhu added that it required the court’s timely intervention “at a pre-emptive stage”.

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